Hamilton Latest Addition to Doubtful List

CLEMSON - Add Derrick Hamilton to the list of starters likely to miss
Saturday's Clemson home opener with Louisiana Tech.

Hamilton missed practice Monday and Tuesday and won't workout Wednesday due to a
lingering problem with a tendon in his lower leg. The injury originally was
reported last week as a high ankle sprain, but trainer Danny Poole said
Tuesday that "it's never been the ankle. It's always been the tendon."

Head coach Tommy Bowden resigned himself Tuesday to the likelihood that
Hamilton won't be ready to go Saturday.

"He's already missed two days, he's going to miss (Wednesday), and if he comes
back Thursday it would only be for a workout in shorts," Bowden said. "Under
that scenario he wouldn't start anyway."

Poole, meanwhile, said he "never gives up" on getting a player ready to go
and would not rule out Hamilton completely.

Bowden, too, seemed to be clinging to some hope Hamilton might contribute
Saturday, saying there was no thought of just shutting the sophomore down
this week with Atlantic Coast Conference foe Georgia Tech looming the
following Saturday.

Hamliton's status was questionable leading into last Saturday's Georgia game,
but "he wanted to try, and (the training staff) did some things before the
game to help him feel better," Bowden said.

He now joins three other starters who likely will miss Saturday's game.

Starting guard Cedric Johnson suffered a sprained ankle against Georgia and
has been slow to recover. Running back Bernard Rambert won't play because of
the strained tendon in his foot, and cornerback Toure Francis appears lost
for the season with a torn ACL.